Railway-signal.



N01 739,681. PATENTBD SEPT. 22, 1903.

R. P. JOHNSON. RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1902.

H0 EODEL. 2 SHEBTS-SHBET 1.

2 BHEBT SSHEET 2i PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

R. P. JOHNSON. RAILWAY SIGNAL. Arrywumn FILED no. 2, 1902.

30 MODEL.

its. 739,681.

UNIT D STATES Tatented September 22, 1903.

ROBERT F. Johnson, OFGALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

RAiLWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 739,681, dated September 22, 1903. Application filed December 2, 1902. Serial No. 133,608. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Railway-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in railway-signals.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of railway-signals and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive one designed to be located at a crossing and adapted to be operated by a train to indicate the approach of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signal of this character havingoperating mechanism adapted to continuously ring a bell as the train approaches a crossing and capable after the train has left the crossing of preventing such continuous operation of the hell or other signal.

The invention also has for its object to provide an operating mechanism which will enable the signal to be continuously sounded as a train approaches the crossing and which will positively lock the signal out of operation as the train leaves the crossing and automatically release the operating mechanism as the train leaves it, so that the operating mechanism willbe left in a condition to be either operated or locked out of operation, according as a train is approaching or leaving a crossing.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view indicating the position of the parts of the signal when the same is applied to a single track. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, illustrating the arrangement of the signal and one of the operating devices. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the op erating devices. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of parts of the same. Fig. 7is atransverse sectional view thereof. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the railway-Sig nal on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3. Figs. 9 and 10 Fig. 11 is Fig.

are detail views of crank-shafts. a detail view of the bell-crank lever. 12 is a similar view of the bell-hammer. Like numerals of reference designate correspondingparts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a casing mounted on a suitable postor support 2 and designed to be lo cated adjacent to a crossing at one side of a track and receiving a pair of bells 2, which are spaced apart and which are adapted to be engaged by an oscillating bell-hammer 3. The oscillating bell-hammer 3 depends from a shaft i, journaled in suitable bearings ot' a support 5 and having an arm 6 arranged at the back of the support and connected by a link 7 with one arm of a bell-crank lever B. The casing 1, which is approximately rectangular, may be constructed in any suitable manner, and the top and sides are preferably constructed of a single piece of sheet metal, the top being provided with a 'central upright extension 9 to receive the upper portion of the support. The bell-hammer, which is located between the bells, is normally in contact with one of them, and when the operating mechanism is actuated by the means hereinafter described the upper arm of the bell-crank lever is swung downward, carrying with it the arm 6 of the shaft 4 and swinging the hammer from one bell to the other. The hammer is returned to its initial position by a spring hereinafter described, and this operation is effected by the wheels of a train, each wheel being adapted to oscillate the bell-hammer in this manner, so that a practically continuous alarm is thus sounded while the train is'p'assiug over the operating mechanism.

The post 2 is provided with a groove or opening 10 for the reception of a rod 11,which extends downward from the lower arm of the bell-crank lever 8, and the latter is fulcrumed in an opening in the bottom of the casing 1. The lower end of the rod 11 is connected with an arm 12 of a transverse rock-shaft 13, which is provided between its ends with a loop 14, forming an intermediate crank-arm and located below an adjacent rail 15 of the track.

The arm 14 extends approximately horizontally and is engaged by a short hook-shaped arm 16 of an intermediate crank-shaft 17,

mounted in suitable bearings. beneaththe rail 15. The arms 14 and 16 extend toward each other, and the outer end of the arm 16 is bent to form a hook and receives the transverse portion of the looped arm 14 of the rock-shaft 13. The rock-shaft 17 is provided at one end with an upwardly-extending arm 17, which is, connected to a coiled spring 19, and the latter returns the bell-hammer to the initial position audactuates the said bell-hammer to cause the same to strike one of the bells.

. 24, located beneath the track and journaled in suitable bearings of a casing 25. The casing 25 is provided at its top with a perforation through which passes a depressible rod or pin 26, adapted to be operated by the wheels of a train, whereby the shaft 24 is rocked. The upwardly-extending arm 23 of the rock-shaft 24 is connected with a coiled spring 27, which holds the pin or rod normally elevated, and said pin or rod 26 extends upward into a groove 28 of a short railsection 29. The short rail-section 29 is mounted above the casing 25 and is provided at its inner end with an extension having a Vertical flange to form the said groove 28. The short rail-section 29 may be formed integral with the casing 25, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or it may be constructed in any suitable manner, and the ends of therail-sections 29 are supported by the adjacent cross-ties. train pass over the rod or pin, the latter will be depressed and the bell-hammer will be swung in one direction, and as soon as the wheel leaves the pin the springs will raise the latter and return the bell-hammer to its initial position, thereby carrying the bell-hammer into contact with the other bell. This vibratory movement of the bell-hammer will continue until the train has passed over the bell-operating mechanism.

The spring 27 extends from the arm 23 to a suitable bracket 30, which is approximately L-shaped and which is arranged at one side of the casing 25 at a point slightly beyond the same. The rock-shaft 24 is provided withinthe casing 25 with an approximately U-shaped loop 31, which is connected with the vertically-movable bell-operatingpin,and the said rock-shaft 24 is provided at the opposite side of the track with an approximately lz-shaped arm 32, arranged within the casing 25 and having an upwardly-extending portion terminating in a hook 33. The hook 33 forms a seat and is adapted to be engaged by When the'wheels of the an arm.3.4 of a rock-shaft 35, .journaled in suitable bearings of the casing 25 and provided at each side of the same with an arm. The arm 34 consists of an approximately inverted-U-shaped loop, which is adapted to engage the hook 33 of the rock-shaft 24 to hold the bell-operating pin or rod in a depressed position to prevent it from being operated by the wheels of the train, so that the bells will not be sounded after a train has left the crossing. The rock-shaft 35 is oscillated by the means hereinafter described to swing its arm 34 toward the rock-shaft 24, and the said arm 34is provided with a weight 36 and is arranged in an inclined position, as illustrated inFig. 5 of the drawings, when it is operated as before described, and while in this position it is adapted when the arm 33 is depressed to be automatically swung into engagement with the same by the weight 36. The inverted- U-shaped arm 34 of the rockshaft 35 is provided at the outer side of the loop with an upwardly-extending portion which carries the weight, and the arm 37 at the other end of the rock-shaft 35 is connected by a wire, rod, or other suitable connection 38 with a setting device for throwing the loop-shaped armt against the arm 33 of the rock-shaft 24.

The connection 38 extends to an upwardlyextending arm 39 of a rock-shaft 40, which is journaled in suitable bearings of a casing 41 and which is provided within the casing with a loop 42, forming an arm and connected with a vertically-movable pin or rod 43. The pin or rod 43, which is depressible, similar to the pin or rod 26, extends through an open ing in the top of the casing 41, and it is located at the inner end of the operating mechanism, so that it will be first engaged bya train leaving the crossing. When the rod or pin 43 is depressed, the rock-shaft with which it is connected is rotated, and the connection 38 is pulled upon to rock the shaft 35 through the arm 37 and swing the weightedarm 34 thereof against the arm 33 of the rock-shaft with which the bell-operating pin or rodis connected. As soon as the train reaches the pin or rod 26 after leaving the said setting device it will depress said rod or pin 26, thereby swinging the arm 32 of the rock-shaft 24 downward beneath the loop-shaped arm 34, which will be swung by the weight 36 into engagement with the hook-shaped portion 33 of the said arm 32 and will engage the seat thereof and hold the pin 26 in a depressed position. The vertically-movable rod or pin 43 of the setting device is maintained normally in an elevated position by a coiled spring 44, connected with the arm 39 and with a bracket 45.

. After the train has passed beyond the'signal-operating device formed by the pin 26 it operates a releasing device consisting of a depressible pin or rod 46 and a rock-shaft 47. The rock-shaft 47, which is journaled in-suitable bearings of a casing 48, is provided with.

it has an exteriorly-arranged loop or arm 50,

which is connected with the pin. The exterior arm is connected with a coiled spring 51, and a connection 52 extends from the said arm 49 to the arm 37 of the rock-shaft 35. The bracket 53 is L-shaped, similar to those heretofore described, and each of the L- shaped brackets is provided at its upper end with an eye forming a guide for the adjacent connections. When the pin of the releasing devices is compressed, the rock-shaft 35 is rotated, and the weighted arm is thrown to the opposite side away from the arm 33 of the rock-shaft 24, thereby releasing the signaloperating pin or rod 26. The releasing device is located at the outer end of the operating mechanism, and the train crossing will first depress the releasing device, which will carry the radiating arm 34 away from the arm 33, or if it is in such position it will simply hold it there. The signal-operating pin will then be vibrated or reciprocated by the train to ring the bells as the train approaches a crossing. After passing over the signal-operating device the train will depress the setting de vice 43 and will simply leave the weighted arm in an inclined position against the arm 33. It will be seen that the signal is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it will be operated and sounded by a train approaching a crossing, and that a train leaving the crossing and passing over a second operating mechanism will first lock the latter out of operation and'then reset the same after it has passed over the signal-operating pin.

The signal-operating device, with the settingand releasing devices, may be located at each side of a crossing, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings; but the signal may be readily arranged in any other desired manner to adapt it for a double track or the like, and I I desire it to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor detailsrof construction Within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of theinvention.

What I claim is-- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination With a signal, of a train-operated device connected with and adapted to actuate the signal, a setting device for the signal-actuatin g device located between the signal and the train-operated signal-actuating device and adapted to lock the latter but of operation, and a releasing device located beyond the train-operated signalactuating device and connected with the same, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a signal designed to be arranged adjacent to a crossing, of a train-operated signal-actuating device designed to' be arranged at each side ofthe crossing, a train-operated setting device for the signalactuating device located between the signalactuating device and the signal and adapted to lock: the former out of operation, and a train-operated releasing device located be-- yond the signal-actuated device and connected with the same, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with asignal, of a rock-shaft connected with the signal and adapted when rocked to actuate the same, a depressible train-operated device connected with the rockshaft and adapted to actuate the same,a trainoperated setting device located between the signal and the rock-shaft and provided with means for engaging the same to hold the depressible train-operated device out of operation, and a train-operated releasing device, substantially as described.

4;. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rock-shaft designedto be connected with a signal, a depressible trainoperated device connected with the rockshaft, a Weighted rock-shaft provided with means for locking the other rock-shaft out of operation, and train-operated devices located at opposite sides of the weighted rock-shaft and connected with and adapted to move the same in opposite directions to lock and release the depressible train-operated device, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a depressible train-operated device designed to be connected with a signal for actuating the same, a rock-shaft provided with means for locking the depressible device in a depressed position to hold the same out of operation, and train-operated devices located at opposite sides of the depressible device and connected with the rock-shaft and adapted to move the same in opposite.

directions to carry the said rock-shaft into and out of operation, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main rock-shaft provided with an arm having a seat, a train-operated depressible device connected with the rockshaft and adapted to actuate the same, train cated at opposite sides of the said rock-shaft,

and a rock-shaft connected with the trainactuated devices and adapted to be moved in opposite directions by the same and provided with a loop-shaped arm adapted to engage the said hook, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described,the

' to be connected to a signal, a depressible pin connected with the rock-shat t 23, a rock-shaft 35 provided with arms 34 and 37, the arm 34 being weighted and adapted to engage the arm 33, rock-shafts 40 and 47 located at opposite sides of the rock-shaft 23 and provided with upwardly extending arms connected with the arm 37, brackets located adjacent to the upwardly-extending arms of the rockshafts 40 and 47 and the arm 23 and provided with guides receiving the connections between the rook-shafts, springs connecting the brackets with such arms, and depressible pins connected with the shafts 40 and 47, substantially as described.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with an oscillatory bell-hammer, a pair of bells located at opposite sides of the bell-hammer and arranged to be engaged by the same, a shaft provided with an arm and carrying the bell-hammer, a bell-crank lever having one of its arms connected with the arm of the said shaft, and train-operated mechanism connected with the other arm of the rockshaft, substantially as described.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination of a post having a longitudinal groove or opening, a casing mounted on the post and provided with a support and having an opening arranged at the groove or opening of the post, a shaft mounted on the support and provided with a bell-hammer, a bellcrank lever fulcrumed at the opening of the casing and connected with the said shaft, a horizontal rock-shaft designed to be arranged beneath the track and having an arm extending to the said post, a rod arranged in the groove or opening of the post and extending from the bell-crank lever to the arm of the rock-shaft, and operating mechanism connected with the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bell and a bell-hammer, of the horizontal rock-shaft 13 designed to be located beneath the track and connected with the bell-hammer and provided with a loop, the intermediate rock-shaft provided with. a hook-shaped arm engaging the loop of the said rock-shaft 13, a spring connected with redesi the intermediate rock-shaft, and operating mechanism also connected with the intermediate rock-shaft, substantially as described.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bell, and a bell-hammer, of a casing designed to be located beneath one of the rails ofa track, a horizontal rockshaft 13 journaled in suitable bearings of the casing and provided within the same with a loop and having'an arm connected with the bell-hammer, the rock-shaft 17 provided at one end with an arm and having a hookshaped arm engaging the loop of the rockshaft 13, a spring connected with the arm at the end of the rock-shaft l7, and operating mechanism connected with the rock-shaft 17,,

substantially as described.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rock-shaft having an arm, a depressible pin designed to be arranged at one side of a rail in position to be engaged by the wheels of a train and connected with and supported by the said rock-shaft, a spring connected with the rock-shaft and holding the pin normally in an elevated position, and a signal connected with and operated by the rock-shaft, substantially as described.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rail provided at the inner side with a flange forming a groove, 'a casing located beneath the rail, a rock-shaft journaled in the casing, a pin connected with the rock-shaft and extending upward into the groove and arranged to be engaged by the wheels of a train, a spring connected with the rock-shaft and holding the pin normally in an elevated position, and means for connecting the rock-shaft with a signal, substantially as described.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination of the rock-shaft 24, a depressible pin connected with and supported by the rock-shaft, a spring also connected with the rock-shaft and adapted to hold the pin normally in an elevated position, the inter mediate spring-actuated rock-shaft connected with the rock-shaft 24 and provided with a hook-shaped arm, the rock-shaft 13 having aloop engaged by the said hook-shaped arm, a pair of bells, and an oscillatory bell-hammer arranged between and adapted to engage the bell and connections between the bellhammer and the rock-shaft 13, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have'hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT F. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

HUGO BOETTIGHEIMER, THOMAS SPINER. 

